Finding Peace
by yoanagf
Summary: Takes place after Camp Rock 2. After a tragedy turns Mitchie's life upside-down, she cancels her first headlining tour. Alex swears to never love again after Mason. A series of events brings them together, what will happen? Eventual Mitchie/Alex
1. Chapter 1

**My first fan fiction ever, so I was really nervous about posting. Oh well, here goes nothing. Review and tell me what you think. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock or Wizards Of Waverly Place**

Chapter 1

2 months after Camp Rock…

After a world-wide audience saw Mitchie and Shane's performance at Final Jam, every musical company out there wanted Mitchie to sign with them.

Her life was turned around from all the attention she never thought she would be getting. She was asked to do interviews to talk about how she started singing, whether she had ever taken singing lessons, how her life used to be – something she wasn't comfortable with, so she often declined.

Mitchie took her time to decide whether she actually wanted a contract with some huge recording company. Her dream has always been to sing and she had been perfectly happy just doing so in the confinement of her room. Did she really want to pursue a serious singing career? To sing in front thousands of people? To be away from her family for long periods of time?

Sure, she had opened a few times for Connect 3 after her first summer in Camp Rock. After Shane cleared his act the band went on a world tour. They did a couple of concerts near her area and invited her to be their opening act. She was tremendously excited to see Shane again so she accepted without a second thought.

But this… this was different, big, life-changing. Whatever her decision, her parents were behind her 100%.

She asked Shane for advice on what she should do, the answer she received though wasn't one she was looking for. "Follow your heart", he said. Right now, she had absolutely no idea what her heart was saying. "I could always drop out, if it's not what I asked for, right?", she thought once to herself and that was when her mind was made up.

After researching every single one of the companies that offered her a contract, she decided to sign with Hollywood Records. After all, Connect 3 had signed with them four years ago and they were famous all around the world now. Her mom called a lawyer to come and go over the contract they offered Mitchie. She were to be signed for two years, doing shows here and there in all kinds of small venues, nothing major until she had a solid fan base. The pay was also going to be good… well that was the understatement of the century… she had never imagined to see so much money at once, not to mention have them.

If she thought life after Camp Rock had been hectic, now it was quite simply insane. She had to record an album and fast. They offered her to do covers of well-known songs, but she always shook her head 'no' at that. If she were ever to become famous, people should know the real her. And the best way for her to express herself was through her music. She wanted all the songs on the album to be written either completely by her or co-written, but that was as much as she would allow.

She frantically searched her songbooks for songs that she would want the public, her future fans to hear. 'This Is Me' and 'Believe In Me' were the first ones on her list, since they were about her insecurities. She was more confident now, but it wasn't always like that and she wasn't going to hide it. 'Who Will I Be' came next, expressing her dreams as she was growing up. 'Brand New Day' was the song she performed at Opening Jam when she returned to Camp Rock, it brought back a lot of memories. She couldn't possibly not include 'Different Summers', which she sang at Camp Star and which confirmed her feelings for Shane. 'It's Not Too Late' was a song no one knew about, but she was proud of it. It was written after she heard Brown complaining to her mother about how she had fallen into Axel's trap. The next three songs on her list were 'Stronger', 'Falling over me' and 'The Middle', inspired by her love for Shane, but they weren't necessarily about him. The last song she chose was written just recently, when her life became an interest to the media. It was called 'La La Land' and it was like a promise to herself that no matter what happened from then on, she would never change.

She was nervous, thinking that they would reject her list of songs and force her to do covers or record songs that others had written for her. But Hollywood Records loved it, they were utterly impressed with her songwriting. Now all she had to do was record them. She had imagined it to be easy, after all she had recorded some of her own songs at home. But she had never been in a professional music studio, she didn't know how many times she'd have to sing the same song over and over again, until they thought it was perfect. She was singing either too high or too low, she had to sing with more feeling, she missed her cue… the critique was never-ending. Every day for the duration of a week she spent more than ten hours in the studio. All the hard work was going to pay off sooner or later, she kept repeating in her head. When she was finally done and they gave her the first copy of the final record, she went home, locked herself in her room and put the CD in her old CD-player. She couldn't believe her ears, she sounded good, really good actually. She never thought her voice was as great as her mother kept telling her and as her friends back at Camp Rock thought, but now she was starting to believe them.

Her album was set to be released a week later. Mitchie never knew that things would happen this fast, she was expecting months of work, of writing and recording, before coming out with a record.

It was time, and she was overly excited. She couldn't stop fidgeting and picking at her nail polish. Today was the coming out of her album with the title "This Is Me", which she found very fitting, considering her record was all hers; her feelings, her thoughts.

The record turned out to be a complete hit, topping the charts in no time. Apparently people had been hoping that she'd enter a singing career, after hearing her in Final Jam. The album was sold in over 100 000 copies all over the world.

Mitchie Torres was now a teen sensation.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: The first two chapters might seem like fillers, but they were necessary, otherwise it wouldn't be clear what's going on. **

**School started yesterday, but I'll try updating as frequently as possible, cause this is gonna be one long story.**

**Things will probably go a little slower from now on, or from the next chapter on, I'm not sure, but that's because I want to give it a realistic feeling. Hopefully you can be patient with me.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place.**

**Chapter 2**

It wasn't long before Mitchie started receiving invitations from different shows to perform some of her songs live. She couldn't accept all of them, but there was usually an opportunity to re-schedule. She did a couple of small venue concerts. Every time she sang on stage she couldn't help but cry. People were singing along to her songs, they knew every line; they cheered her name and said they loved her. She couldn't possibly be happier.

Sometimes she had to be away for a few days and she missed her family terribly. It was then that she wondered if she had made the right choice or not. She called her mom as frequently as she could. The talks were always short and simple, but they meant the world to her.

"**Hey, mom."**

"_How are you, sweetie?"_

"**Good, tonight's concert was great, but I wish you could have been here"**

"_I'm sorry, honey, you know that I can't just take a break from work like that"_

"**I know, it's okay. I'm coming home tomorrow"**

"_We can't wait! See you then"_

"**Yeah, bye, mom, love you"**

"_Love you too, dear" _

She talked to Shane too sometimes. She wished she could see him, but he was busy living his rock-star life. Not that she wasn't occupied with her career, which was quickly taking off, but she would always make time for him. Sometimes she wondered if he really cared that much about her. She was pretty sure he would pick his music over her without so much as a single thought. She couldn't help asking herself if she would do the same thing, but for now she could fit both in her life.

Mitchie always looked forward to coming home, even though it was getting harder to say goodbye to her band mates. Of course, in order for her to perform, she needed a band to play her songs. The label had been ready with a list of talented musicians for her to choose from. She knew one of the guys on it; they used to play together a few years back. She gave him a call, explained that she needed a band and he promised to take care of it all. She was excited, but nervous to meet with – as she found out - the guys, but all uneasiness faded away fast; they clicked immediately. Jack, her childhood friend, player the guitar and so did Aaron; Luke was a pro on the drums and Peter was born with a bass in his hand. Mitchie had no idea how Jack found them, but she was extremely grateful that she didn't have to call everyone on the list, arrange meetings, auditions and so on.

So there she was now, searching for the spare key under a bunch of rocks near her house's front door. It didn't take her long to find it; soon the door was unlocked and she made her way in.

"Mom, dad, I'm back!", she yelled.

Her mom came out of the kitchen as soon as she heard the key in the door lock and pulled Mitchie in for a tight hug.

"Hi, mom, I know it's only been like five days but I missed you! Where's dad?", Mitchie asked.

"He went to the grocery store to buy a few things, but he'll be back soon."

"Great! I'll just bring my stuff in and I'll be right down. What's for dinner? I'm starving!". To confirm that her stomach growled.

"Burgers!"

"Mom…" Mitchie eyed her mother with a disapproving look.

"I'm kidding, sweetheart, it's chicken and rice."

At that she breathed out a sigh of relief and went outside to get her bags and take them upstairs. Unpacking could wait for later. She then took a real quick shower and when she came into the kitchen, she saw that her father was already home. They too exchanged hugs and I-missed-yous.

"So when are we going to tell her?", her dad started.

"Steve, let's wait until after dinner", Connie insisted.

"Mom, dad, not that again, please! What is it?"

"Your mother and I have a proposition…", Steve began, but was interrupted by Connie.

"…and you can say no if you don't agree, it was just an idea."

"But we think that it will really be great for you and…"

The suspense was just killing Mitchie. What on earth were they talking about?

"Spit it out already, you're killing me!", she voiced her thoughts out loud.

"What do you say about moving to New York? It will be good for your career and for your mother's catering business. And I can open up a hardware store anywhere."

Mitchie was speechless… What? New York… How did they come up with this? Good for her career? Maybe. Actually yes, she would have a lot more opportunities, doing a concert there could do wonders. But it was all so sudden. Could they really just up and leave like that? She didn't really have anything to lose, no one that she'll miss here. When she had come back home after her second summer in Camp Rock and the media had swamped her with attention, Sierra and her had fallen out. She didn't really have any other friends.

Her parents were staring at her expectantly, afraid to break her out of her thoughts. They didn't know how she would react to such a suggestion.

After a few minutes of deep thinking and staring at an apparently very interesting spot on the wall, Mitchie finally spoke up.

"You know what? Let's do it!"


	3. Chapter 3

**I made a trailer to go with the fan fiction. You can find the link in my profile.**

A/N: I was out of town for a while and it was a bit hard catching up at school, which is why I took so long to update.  
Just for the record, English is not my mother tongue, so there are probably mistakes. If anything bothers you too much, tell me and I'll fix it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly place.

Chapter 3

The next week Mitchie and her parents spent by packing everything they could. By the time they were done the house looked empty, nothing like the home they knew. Everything was in boxes with labels on them, but only three were important to Mitchie. The ones containing her CD collection, her pictures and her songbooks and she was going to make sure they got to New York safely.

Mitchie knew that her parents could barely afford such a move – one of the reasons it was still surreal to her that they had suggested such a thing. With that in mind she insisted on helping with the money they had to pay for a new house – a topic which started a lot of heated arguments, especially with her mom. It took a lot of effort but she managed to convince Connie that she had earned enough money from album sales and concerts and that she had a right to pay at least partly for the house – after all, she was going to live in it too. The arguments that she wasn't of age yet and that she should save up for herself just weren't strong enough in this case.

The house they chose was a two-story one in the suburbs of the city, a little bigger than the one they were about to leave behind. With Mitchie's help it was easily affordable.

With that only one final step remained. Saying goodbye to her soon-to-be former house was easier then she had imagined it to be. She was more than ready to start anew; in a new home, a new city. Perhaps she would make some new friends. Sure, she had her best friend, Caitlyn, and they tried to keep in touch and succeeded most the time. But meeting someone new and out of the business was an exciting thought.

More thoughts of the sort swarmed her head while on the place that was leading her to New York.

The house they had bought turned out to be amazing. It had this homey feeling to it that Mitchie fell in love with immediately. The walls were white and bare, there wasn't much furniture left from the previous owners, but all that was going to change soon. Her parents let her choose which room she would like to be hers and said that she could decorate it in any way she'd like.

They all took their time to settle in. They met the neighbors, which were an elder couple and a young woman that seemed to be living alone. They were all very friendly; the woman brought them some cake when they first arrived.

Everything couldn't be a fairy tale though.

"Mom, why can't I go to school like a normal teenager?", Mitchie yelled.

"Because you aren't one! You're famous now, sweetie, can you imagine how people are going to treat you if you went to a public school?", Connie tried to reason with her.

"And how am I supposed to have friends? Have you thought about that?"

"Mitchie…", her mom was left speechless at that. She only wanted the best for her daughter, but in this case she herself wasn't sure what that was. Mitchie had always been an outsider at school. People made fun of her when she was little, because she was chubby and wore glasses. Later it was because of her cleft chin and the gap in her teeth, which she fixed first chance she got. Now that she was famous people were going to envy her and Connie didn't expect things to be better.

"Look, Mitchie, dear, I only want what's best for you. Take some time to think about this and after that, if you're still sure that a public school is really what you want, then I won't stop you."

Mitchie sighed and sat down on a stool, looking at the ground. Maybe her mom was right. People weren't going to accept her, they would either treat her like a celebrity and try to be her friends just for the sake of befriending someone famous or they just wouldn't want anything to do with her. Her mom had suggested a private school, but how is that different from a public one? You paid a lot more, that was for sure, and there were a lot of snobby rich kids that walked around like they owned the world – or so Mitchie thought, and she wasn't too eager to find out if she was right. There was only one option she had left – home schooling.

In a city as big as New York finding a teacher was as easy as one, two, three. Mitchie had always done well at school, so she wasn't worried about the teacher being dissatisfied with her. She just wished that she didn't have to be alone.

She didn't even feel the move as she barely went out. She still talked to her friends from Camp Rock, but she knew no one in town and the loneliness was a bit too much sometimes.

That's life for you, she thought.

Not even a week had passed and she was already asked to do a concert. The venue was much bigger than she was used to and she doubted that so many people would want to see her perform. She had to find time to rehearse between home schooling and chores. She might be famous, but that didn't mean that she could skip on house work. Just keeping it real, her parents told her.

She thought she had gotten over the stage fright, but she had never performed for 20,000 people before. She couldn't believe her eyes, when she saw that the venue was full. The start of the concert was close. Her knees were trembling, her palms were sweaty and she had a lump in her throat. How was she supposed to sing if she couldn't even get her mouth to open?

Before she knew it she was standing in the center of the stage, a spotlight right on her, blinding her. The music to "This is me" was playing in the background. Without her knowledge sound started coming out of her mouth and suddenly everything was okay; she was giving all she had and she was right where she belonged.

When Mitchie's set was done she was completely exhausted. She hadn't stopped running around and jumping the whole time. Her legs were about to give out and she was on her way to the couch backstage in her dressing room, when she heard her name being called out on stage. Confusion took over her features as she made her way back.

An agent of Hollywood Records was standing with a mic in one hand, the other held out for her to take. As she did so, he spoke.

"The company has some exciting news for you and the audience will be the first to hear them along with you!". The statement was followed by excited screams.

"I…", Mitchie stuttered and smiled awkwardly.

"Mitchie Torres, you're going on tour!" , he nearly shouted.

Mitchie's first reacting was her trademark scream, which probably killed people's ears.

"Wait, what?", was her second one, which she voiced right ahead.

"You heard me, it's official – we have a headlining tour planned for you, what do you say?"

Her heart screamed at her to say yes, but luckily her brain was still working properly.

"I-I don't know w-what to say, this is a-a bit sudden. C-can I think it through?"

Everyone in the audience started whispering and Mitchie was sure that it was nothing good.

"Think all you want, but you don't wanna disappoint your fans, now do you?", said the agent with a smug smile, knowing he had gotten to her.

The mic was taken from him and they were walked off stage by the security. Mitchie's answer wasn't heard by the public, but it was clear that the offer was not meant to be refused.

Her parents, who were present backstage at the concert, knew that too. They didn't talk much the next few days. "We're behind you, Mitchie", was all Connie had said.

Although she hadn't said her answer out loud, rehearsals soon began. There were a couple of dances that she had to learn and she was going to play guitar or piano in most of the songs. She was kind of being bossed around, until she put her foot down and made it clear, that if she was doing this tour, she was doing it her way.

It was just another ordinary day. After a few hours of home schooling with her teacher Gregory - really nice guy, who definitely knew what he was doing, she went to rehearsal, grabbing a coffee on her way.

She was playing "Different Summers" on the guitar, when Amanda, one of the dancers, brought her ringing phone to her. The called ID read 'dad'.

"Hey, dad, what's up? I'm at rehearsals", she said nonchalantly.

"Mitchie…", his voice was shaky, like he had been crying and Mitchie became worried immediately.

"Dad, what's going on?"

"You need to come home right away!", Steve said urgently.

"Can't you tell me over the phone?"

"I'm sorry, please, Mitchie, right away!", he repeated and she heard the dial tone.

Mitchie excused herself, saying there was a family emergency and took a taxi home.

**Review and tell me what you think ^^**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I had planned to update earlier, but I had to deal with some personal issues.  
I am not particularly happy with this chapter, but oh well, here it goes...**

Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock or Wizards Of Waverly Place

Chapter 4

Mitchie promised the driver to pay him double, so that he would break some rules and get her home faster.

Her heart was racing and there was this feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was terribly, horribly wrong.

She burst through the door and called out to her dad, but received no answer. She found him on the couch in the living room, holding his head in his hands.

"Dad?", she approached him slowly. Steve lifted his head up and looked Mitchie straight in the eyes and what she saw in his struck her hard – pain; unimaginable, piercing pain.

He tried to speak, but nothing came out, so he settled for enveloping his daughter in a bone-crushing hug.

"What's going on?", it came out as a whisper.

"Mitchie, I-I, I don't know how to say this", began Steve, now holding Mitchie at arms length.

"What happened? Why have you been crying?", Mitchie finally noticed his bloodshot eyes and the tear marks on his cheeks. "And where is mom?"

"Mitchie…"

She broke apart from him and started pacing. "Stop saying my name like that and spit it out!", she didn't mean for it to come out that harsh and immediately regretted it when she saw tears welling up in her father's eyes again.

"There was an accident…", Steve managed to choke out without stuttering, but he couldn't look at his daughter, he didn't want to see the look on her face as he would break her with his next words. "Your mom – she was in a car accident…"

Mitchie's eyes widened. "What? When? She's okay, right?", she longed to hear that it was nothing serious and that her dad was just overreacting.

"She was seriously injured, Mitchie. She's undergoing a surgery right now and they don't think she's going to make it."

Mitchie suddenly felt numb. She grabbed her father's hand and led him out to their van – the last time they had used it was when she first when to Camp Rock. She tossed the keys to Steve; he hadn't even noticed when she had taken them.

"Drive", Mitchie ordered with a voice that sounded nothing like hers; it showed no emotion.

He obliged and soon they were on their way to the hospital.

"Step on it, damn it!", this startled Steve, for Mitchie never cursed, and he did as he was told.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at the hospital and Mitchie stormed through the door. Her father stopped her just as she was about to yell at some nurse and went to ask about Connie. He was told that she was still in the operating room; they had no information about her current condition.

Mitchie was already in the waiting room, sitting in a chair and rocking back and forth, knees pressed tightly to her chest. She didn't talk or look at her father. It seemed like she still hadn't grasped the concept of what was happening. Steve tried to hug Mitchie, but she quickly pulled away and went to sit in a chair away from him. He gave up at that and just settled for waiting.

An hour and a half later, a doctor seemingly in his late thirties approached the two of them.

"Steve and Mitchie Torres?"

Mitchie stopped her rocking motions and finally looked up.

"That's us", answered Steve for them.

"There is no way to make this easy on you, so I'll just be straightforward with you. We did everything we could, but her injuries were too great."

"Liar!", Mitchie shouted and pushed him to the ground. He fell with a painful thud and had shock written all over his face.

Mitchie stormed out of waiting room and down the corridor, attempting to find the room, where her mother was being kept. She let nothing get in her way and when she finally found her, she shouted at the nurses, who were unhooking some machines, to get out.

She dropped on her knees beside the operation table. "Please, come back to me", was all Mitchie managed to choke out, while cupping her mother's face. Tears were making their way down her cheeks and she could hardly see. She crawled in a corner and curled up into a ball. Falling into a catatonic state all she did was repeat "This isn't real" like a chant.

She didn't notice when or how her father brought her home and laid her in her bed, nor that her eyes hurt from all the tears she had shed. Sleep overcame her soon enough and unconsciously she hoped that yesterday was just a nightmare, and if not, that she would not wake up.

But she did and the absence of her mother immediately filled the air. It was like she was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It felt so surreal, her brain told her that this was reality and she was really gone, but she refused to believe such a thing was possible. Part of her wanted to cry, but she didn't think she had the strength. Her eyelids were heavy and she had to try really hard to focus on the clock beside her bed and read the time – 2 pm. Mitchie was supposed to be at rehearsal an hour ago, but she couldn't care less. The world had lost its colors and she no longer felt alive. Losing the one person she could not go on without had taken the meaning out of life. Nothing could possibly change that - not a tour, not her father, not anything.

Suddenly Mitchie felt angry – at the world, at fate, at God, if he even existed and she seriously doubted that he did, what kind of a God would allow such a thing? She grabbed her acoustic guitar by the fret board and smashed it into the wall, shattering the wood into little pieces and leaving a dent behind.

She went into the bathroom and locked the door. And right on time, as just then her dad rushed in her room, demanding to know what had happened. She drowned his voice out and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't recognize the person looking back at her. Her eyes were a dark red color and there were bags under them. Her gaze was empty, her cheeks puffy and wet.

Next thing she knew there was a crack in the mirror and blood on her knuckles. She turned the water on and put her hand under the stream to let it wash the blood away. She knew it was supposed to hurt, but she felt nothing. Physical pain didn't matter, for there was a hole where her heart and soul used to be.

She listened intently and tried to predict whether her father would be waiting for her. She heard no movement outside the door and she deemed it safe to come out. She locked the door of her room as well and slid against it. With the corner of her eye she saw her phone ringing on her bed. She felt the urge to just throw it out the window, but instead she went to check who it was. The display read 'Shane 3'. She guessed that the accident was probably all over the news already and he was calling to check on her. She ignored his call and turned her phone off. His, or anyone else's pity was the last thing she needed right now.

Lying on the bed again, she let her mind wander to all the things she would miss about her mother – her caring nature, her loving smile, the way she always knew when something wasn't right, her hugs, how she always made an effort to understand her. Mitchie was sobbing, even though no tears fell. She was nothing but a hollow shell.

**Review and tell me what you think ^^**


	5. Chapter 5

**Till now the story has been very Mitchie-centric, this chapter will switch to Alex at some point to get a little glimpse in her life too.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock or Wizards Of Waverly Place. **

The next day she spent in bed, staring at the dent in the wall. Her father had cleaned up the wood pieces, so that it was the only evidence of her outbreak yesterday. She also found that her hand was bandaged up, probably while she was sleeping. Steve must have used the spear key to let himself in. Usually she was a light sleeper, but she had not felt when her dad had done that.

Steve came in her room at noon to bring her something to eat. She shook her head, but her stomach protested and he fed her like one would a little child.

Mitchie felt selfish for not asking him how he was but talking right now seemed impossible for her. She was just grateful for his patience.

She didn't want to go to the funeral, but she knew she would forever regret it, if she didn't. Seeing her mother's lifeless body being brought down into the ground, was an image that would surely burn itself into her mind. She couldn't hold a speech as she was probably supposed to. Instead she just broke down in front of everyone.

Shane had come too, but she didn't once speak a word to him. When he tried to embrace her and offer his condolences, she pushed him away and avoided him the best she could. She had no idea why, but she didn't want to deal with him right now. She hadn't seen him in over three months; he couldn't just show up now and expect a warm welcome. She didn't hear from him after that.

Steve was pleasantly surprised when Mitchie came out of her room on the tenth day after the accident and greeted him with a quiet 'hi'. They ate together that day; in silence, but together.

Her tour was supposed to start in a week. An agent tried to reach her, and on the phone home nonetheless. When the phone rang, she motioned for her father to pick up and listened carefully. When she heard that it was about the tour, Mitchie firmly spoke two words that would probably ruin her career as a singer:

"Cancel it", with that she left the kitchen and locked herself in her room again.

Steve didn't question her decision; he knew that she wouldn't be able to pull it off, not so soon after her loss.

* * *

Losing Mason was a hit Alex wasn't prepared to take. She had loved him and for real this time. He wasn't like the other guys she had dated, he was gentle and caring. He never once tried to pressure her into something she wasn't ready for. And in a matter of seconds it was all taken away from her; she had lost him, he had turned into a wolf, roaming some forest in Transylvania.

For the first time her family and her best friend saw her crying, depressed. For the first time she wasn't the cause for a mess that Justin would be able to fix later. She had cried in the lair, locking it with a spell so that no one would disturb her and whisper meaningless promises about how everything was going to be okay.

She found comfort in the blanket wrapped around her, in the silence that engulfed her.

It took a while but finally she told herself: "I'm Alex Russo. Alex Russo does not get depressed, she mocks people who do." She came out of the lair, smiling like she was having the time of her life. Harper was about to question her sudden mood change, but when Alex suggested shopping, her best friend just couldn't resist.

Alex acted like her old self and tried to glue together the pieces of her shattered heart in the middle of the night, when she was alone.

But life didn't seem nearly as exciting as before, Alex felt lonely and bored out of her mind. She needed to feel some kind of thrill. And who better to make things interesting than herself?

She shared that wish with Harper, who seemed pleased with the idea. That is, until she found out that excitement for Alex Russo involved using unsupervised magic, well – more than usual, cutting class and breaking the law.

Alex attended countless of parties and, having mastered the duplication spell, never once got caught. At least, until the police crashed one of them and called everyone's parents. Alex's dad wanted to take her wand away, but she put the Russo charm in action and, blaming it on unclear thinking because of what happened with Mason, got away with just a week of being grounded.

Mr. Laritate was getting annoyed with Alex. She was a guest in his office every day, if she went to school at all, that is. As much as he liked the company, he couldn't keep pardoning her and detention never did have an affect on her.

Harper had no idea how to help her distraught best friend. She knew Alex was a rebel, but it had never been this bad. So she had no choice, but to turn to the one person, who she hoped could do something about it – Justin.

"Alex, we need to talk", said Justin as he approached Alex, who was sitting on the edge of their balcony.

"Sup?", a gasped escaped the eldest Russo, as he noticed the cigarette in his younger sister's hand.

He took it and threw it away as fast as he could. "Hey!", Alex hit him in his shoulder, hard; he held back a whimper.

"This is what is up! You haven't been yourself for the past month! I know that you don't like playing by the rules, Alex, but aren't you going a bit too far?"

"Well, that's none of your business, now is it?", Alex retorted and gave him a cold stare, that chilled him to the bone.

"I'm your big brother, which automatically makes it my business. Let me in, Alex, I know you're hurting, but this kind of behavior won't make the pain go away. I only want to help.", Justin tried to get his sister to open up to him.

"How would you know? I feel better than ever. Now leave me be!" She took another cigarette out of a pack, hidden in a pocket of her jacket and lit it. She took a drag and blew the smoke in Justin's face.

He coughed, wearing a shocked expression: "I just want my sister back, is all." With that he went inside.

A lone tear made its way down her cheek. " I do too", Alex whispered in the could air of the night.

* * *

"Mitchie Torres cancels her tour after a tragic accident", a title that was in every newspaper and magazine for about a week, until everything died down and some new star gossip took its place.

Steve was hoping, praying that Mitchie would get better, but greeting him and eating dinner with him was as far as her progress went.

The time passed by without a change in her state and Steve was desperate to do something to help his daughter. He was hurting too, he had lost his beloved wife of many years.

"Mitchie, dear, can I come in?", he asked softly through the bedroom door.

"Yeah"

"I think we need to talk. It's been a while, since… You haven't gotten better and I'm worried about you", Steve tried to voice his thoughts carefully. One wrong word and it could all blow up in his face.

"No need."

"I'm your father, worry is inevitable.", he took Mitchie's hand in his. "You've missed a lot of school, you know, since you told your teacher not to come anymore."

"I don't care.", was the answer that came.

"But you should, Mitchie. I know that you're hurting. You aren't the only one who lost her. But I also know that it gets easier with time and that locking yourself at home will not help. Life must go on, no matter how hard it seems to let go."

"I refuse to let go, dad", Mitchie spoke through gritted teeth.

"And maybe you shouldn't, but you have to move on sooner or later. As of next week you will be attending a public school. Hanging out with people your age will do you good. I have already submitted your documents"

"You didn't!"

"I'm sorry, Mitchie, but you will be thanking me for this later".

**Alex and Mitchie will finally meet in the next chapter. ^^**

**Review and tell me what you think (:**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I know that I haven't updated in like two months and I'm sorry, but I'm not gonna bore you with the shit that caused my writer's block. It's gone now, plus I've got the next chapter down. **

**Thank you to everyone who is still following this story and to all of you who considered it worthy enough to favorite and/or to add to your story alert.**

**P.S. Let's pretend that Mitchie never changed her hair color for Camp Rock 2.**

**Chapter 6**

Mitchie had tried to change her father's mind but her efforts were in vain. She knew the only way for that to happen was if she pretended to have gotten better – something she could not do, if her life depended on it.

The few days left before she was supposed to attend some public school called Tribeca Prep passed by too quickly for her liking. In all honesty, her greatest fear was being recognized. She'd live through a few hours of listening to boring teachers, but if anyone asked about her sudden disappearance from the press or the accident she would seriously flip. So she went to the hairdresser's one afternoon and said that she needed a whole new look – one that would make her unrecognizable.

Closing her eyes, she refused to take a peek until it was done. Looking in the mirror two hours later, she was satisfied. Her hair was no longer a light brown, but instead a raven black color. Her bangs were pushed to the right side and fell in her eye. **** **She would have described herself as emo-ish and she believed that this drastic change would be enough to deceive at least those who had only seen her in magazines and TV interviews. Her father had not been very happy with her new look but he understood that his daughter needed this as a form of reassurance.

When the time came Mitchie considered ditching, but Steve insisted on driving her to the school and walking her to the office so that she could receive her schedule. He threatened that he would call the school to ask if she had attended all of her classes. Mitchie sighed in frustration at that and her father repeated his phrase of the week: "It's for your own good, I promise."

Meeting the principal Mr. Laritate with his funny clothes and accent was entertaining in a way, but with that the fun was over.

* * *

Alex refused to think about the little talk she had with her brother. As much as she wanted everything back to normal again, she didn't have the will to make an effort. She was bored with life and everyone around her. She didn't think living was worth it anymore, so she tried to make herself feel something, anything. But even after all those parties she attended, after all the alcohol that barely had the time to leave her system and the cigarettes that had gone through her hand, she still felt empty and life was still drained of meaning.

Today she decided going to school wouldn't, couldn't hurt (plus Laritate would expel her if she did not attend class one more time). She quickly found Harper and followed her to whatever they had first period, which led her to the biology cabinet. She really hated this subject. Okay, she hated every subject; art used to be an exception, but she had no inspiration to draw or paint since Mason. But the biology teacher was especially obnoxious and Alex drowned out her voice with her MP3-Player. She was almost falling asleep when Harper kicked her foot under the desk and she realized that Mrs. Richards was talking to her so she removed the headphones from her ears.

"Alex Russo, I have had it with you! Turn off the player or I'll call for the principal!"

"You can't tell me what to do", answered the middle Russo nonchalantly.

"I am your teacher, so you have to listen to what I say!"

"I listen to no one, especially to teachers", with that Alex got up and headed for the door with the intent of leaving the classroom. Opening the door with a crash, she was inches from bumping into some girl she had never seen before. Alex took her time to analyze her – raven black hair, black clothes, brown eyes, which met hers with surprise and a hint of curiosity showing in them. The wizard nodded her head as a way to say 'hello'. The teacher was shouting something behind her, but all Alex did was yell 'Whatever' back and continue on her way. As she went, she felt Mystery Girl stare holes in her back.

* * *

The school wasn't big by any means and Mitchie was thankful that the halls were empty. According to her schedule she had biology first period, but she had a feeling that finding the right room would take a while.

She had wandered the halls for at least ten minutes when she finally saw a door with the label "Biology" in black bold letters. Just as she was about to reach for the handle, the door opened with a crash and she found herself only a few inches away from a girl her age with long dark hair and a clearly bored expression. She noticed the girl studying her and just then two pairs of brown eyes met. There was something other than boredom in the girl's eyes, but Mitchie didn't have the time to distinguish what it was as the girl nodded her head as a form of greeting and a high-pitched voice was heard from the room.

"Alex Russo! If you don't get back in here right this instant, I'll make sure to have you expelled!"

"Whatever", shouted the dark-haired girl, apparently named Alex, and went past Mitchie.

The former singer stared at the girl's back as she continued down the hall without a glance back.

Mitchie wondered about the cause of the girl's behavior but dropped it soon after – she had her own shit to deal with.

She managed to sit alone in all of her classes. The teachers were cool, but she was bored – she had covered the material during the little time she had been home-schooled. She was filled with relief when no one seemed to recognize who she was and that no one tried to approach her and be all friendly with the new girl – the death glare at anyone who seemed to show an interest in her probably had a little something to do with that.

She didn't encounter Alex for the rest of the day.

****Think of Remember December. ^^**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Everyone probably hates me for not updating for so long. At least, I know how bad I feel when someone seems to have dropped their fan fiction. I'm not gonna make excuses for myself.**

**So I got inspired recently and continued working on this. I have a lot of ideas and as long as I have time I will keep it up. I tried to make this chapter slightly longer in a pathetic attempt to make up for my absence to those who are still reading.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, last time I checked, I didn't own Camp Rock nor Wizards Of Waverly Place.**

Alex went to Mr. Laritate after she stormed out of Biology. She entered his office and made herself comfortable in one of the chairs.

"Alex! What did you do?"

"Came to see my old friend, have some tea", retorted Alex with a pleasant tone but dropped it at the look on the principal's face. "Chillax, it was nothing big, I'm just bored. I've had it for today."

"Alex! No more detention for you. I'm afraid I have no choice, but to…", Alex wasn't going to let him finish that sentence, she didn't need any more problems at home, especially with her older brother, who would never let her hear the end of it if she got expelled.

"Hey, hey, take a chill pill, why don't ya. I'll be here tomorrow, no worries. Scout's honor, or whatever.", she said making weird signs with her hands.

Mr. Laritate sighed and took off his glasses to clean them.

"This is your last chance, Miss Russo"

"Cool, later, Mr. L", with that Alex left the office and teleported herself back home. The last thing she heard of school that day was a fading yell from the principal's office. She could have sworn he said something to the effect of "you've never been a scout".

Knowing that her parents were working downstairs in the sub shop, she went out to the balcony to light a cigarette. She had no idea why she had decided to go to school that day. If she had to be honest, she wouldn't really care if she did happen to get expelled. She hated school with a passion and it felt like a complete waste of her time anyway. Nothing ever happened there, everyone had a fixed routine that they followed like mindless zombies – class, gossip, class, notes passed sneakily, some more gossip, class, lunch, smoking, class, partying, studying… not really, only geeks got to that part.

The only thing different today was Mystery Girl, whatever her name was. She was obviously new or Alex would have noticed her before – all the black made her hard to miss. What was she, the founder of the emo club? From what Alex had gathered from the whole of three seconds she had studied her, she seemed just as fed up with life as Alex was. New was supposed to be exciting, so she decided that tomorrow would be a day dedicated to solving the mystery that was, well, Mystery Girl.

* * *

Steve picked up Mitchie after school. The ride home was silent, but the second they stepped into the house, he couldn't wait to ask his daughter how her day was.

"Fine. Boring, but fine", Mitchie said plainly, hoping that it would satisfy her dad's curiosity. Wrong.

"Did you meet anyone?" , was the concerned father's next question.

"No. And I don't want to." The finality in her tone implied that the subject wasn't up for discussion.

"Mitchie…", Steve sighed, feeling helpless.

"Dad…", Mitchie hesitated for a second, grabbing his attention and distracting him from her unwillingness to make new friends. "How are you?"

"Um, I'm okay… What do you mean?", now he was just confused.

"It's just… ever since mom…", she didn't think she could ever actually voice what had happened, she couldn't even bear the thought of it. "I never once asked how you were and I'm sorry", Mitchie kissed her dad on the cheek and gave him a short hug, before going up to her room.

She had finally thought of her father's well-being, which was actually progress for her in a way. She felt like a horrible daughter. She knew he was hurting too, maybe more than her. She wished that she could do more to show that she cared, but she didn't think she was capable of caring right now. She knew how selfish that must have seemed, but she just couldn't.

Mitchie skipped dinner that night, she had lost her appetite somewhere along way. She had tried not to cry the last week, to try and be strong, but she was unable to hold it in that night.

* * *

The next day Alex came to school with the intention to stay. Harper and Justin were extremely surprised when they saw her there on time. That hadn't happened in quite a long time. She took her seat next to Harper in the classroom. She wasn't sure what class they were having, but she shared all of them with her best friend, so it wasn't really that much of a problem.

Harper, however, was actually freaked out by her friend's weird behavior. She had tried everything in her power to make Alex go to school on time, but her efforts met with no success. So to say that she was surprised when she saw her best friend doing it on her own, was an understatement and a cause for concern and suspicion.

"Alex, are you okay? Did you do a s-p-e-l-l or something?"

"What? Harper, no! I'm fine, just felt like going to school.", Harper had never heard those words exit her best friend's mouth in all the years she'd known her.

"Okay, an alien must have kidnapped and brainwashed you", she paused for a second. "Do aliens really exist?", she mumbled more to herself, than it was directed to Alex, who just chuckled lightly.

Just then Mystery Girl entered the room and took her seat alone in a corner in the back.

"Yo, Harper, who is she?", she elbowed her friend under the table and pointed sneakily at the girl dressed in all black, again, all the way in the back of the classroom.

"The new student", Harper replied, as if that cleared everything up.

"Duh, Captain Obvious. Name? Anything?"

"Mitchie. And that's all anyone knows." The red-haired girl answered with a shrug of her shoulders. "Why the sudden interest?"

"I don't know. She's new aka interesting. Finally some diversity. Excuse me." Alex got up and approached the table Mystery Girl – now known as Mitchie – occupied.

"Hey, Mitchie. Can I sit here?", she asked casually, pointing to the empty chair next to the raven-haired girl.

"Yes, you can. And no, you may not. Alex." The black-haired girl answered looking up at Alex with a set jaw.

"Is that so?", now the wizard was simply annoyed.

"I'm afraid it is", Mitchie replied with a mockingly sad tone.

"Suit yourself", Alex only received a glare in return and settled for making her way back to Harper.

"What happened?", asked her best friend.

"Girl doesn't wanna talk", the brunette said nonchalantly.

"You're acting real weird today and it is freaking me out, which is usually reversed, just saying.", Harper pointed out. "You planning on ditching the rest of the classes today?"

"No, I'm gonna stay. By the way, I heard about this party tonight, it's gonna be wild, wanna come?"

"And there goes the weirdness", Harper shook her head in, dare she say it, disappointment.

* * *

Mitchie avoided Alex successfully until lunch. As far as she was concerned the girl had mental issues. She didn't go to the cafeteria, but walked outside instead. She went around to the back of the school, where its park was located, and looked around. She wanted to be alone, so she had to choose some secluded place that she could claim as her own. Her eyes fell on a large oak tree near the exit of the school premises. No one seemed to be headed there, so she decided that it would do for now.

Mitchie went to sit under the tree and leaned against its massive trunk. She took out her songbook – she hadn't written anything since the accident. She needed to try; writing always took the pain off her chest. But she stared at the blank page and nothing came out. Although she had so many emotions bottled up inside, the necessary words just never came.

"That's my tree." At the sound of the slightly familiar voice, Mitchie quickly closed her songbook.

"Is your name on it?"

"Smart-ass. I'm trying to make small talk here.", Alex's initial smirk faded.

"I don't want to be talked to.", Mitchie gathered her stuff and began to walk away.

"Oh, come on, what is your problem?", The wizard yelled after the retreating figure.

Mitchie spun one hundred and eighty degrees and looked Alex straight in the eyes even from the distance between them.

"Right now – you are. Anything else does not concern you."

The brunette was about to come up with a witty response, but the bell rang and Mitchie was well on her way to class. Alex couldn't remember the last time someone had talked to her like that. The new girl was certainly something else. She decided that she could be late; having attended all of today's classed on time, and lit a cigarette. She wasn't afraid of getting caught, knowing that no one usually came back here.

* * *

"Dad, I'm home!", Steve came out of the kitchen and enveloped Mitchie in a hug.

"Hey, dear, how was your day?", he asked his daughter with a smile that he had to force.

"Okay, I guess. Today some girl tried to talk to me", she said indifferently, trying to make some kind of conversation. They hadn't really been good at talking about anything really, since that dreadful day. He made sure she was okay, cooking for her and checking up on her all the time, but he never knew how to talk to her, to get her to open up. That used to be her mom's responsibilty.

"That's great! Wait… tried?", her dad asked, confusion furrowing his brows.

"I blew her off." She winced – bad topic choice.

"But, Mitchie, the whole purpose of sending you to a public school was for you to meet other people, make some new friends.", Steve tried to reason with her and was subconsciously glad that he didn't have to fake a smile anymore. Concern he could handle, that emotion was easy for him when it came to his daughter. But he couldn't pretend to be happy, that everything was okay, when it was the utmost opposite. He tried to clear his head quickly, before the sorrow could get to him, and focus on the issue at hand. His little girl never did have many friends, but she couldn't do without any either.

"Dad, she's crazy. Plus, if I'm gonna make friends, ever, it'd be on my own time, okay?", having made her point, Mitchie headed towards her room. "I'm going to do my homework, just call me down for dinner."

* * *

Alex was rummaging through her closet, searching for something to wear to tonight's party. Harper may have refused to go, but there was no way she was going to miss it.

"What do you think you're doing?", the sounds of her older brother's voice startled her, but she brushed it off.

"Going to a party. Why, what does it look like?"

"Again? Really, Alex?", Justin shook his head in disapproval. "You've been fooling dad with your little duplication spell, but I know of every single time you went to get drunk at some random party. You don't remember, but I've had to drag you home more than once." His voice rose with every word he spoke. He couldn't take seeing his sister like that. He had been quiet long enough and he loved Alex too much to let her destroy yourself.

Alex was taken aback at that statement and her eyes widened.

"What are you talking about?" Sure, after she had been out partying, things were usually blurry and there were a few black spots in her memory, but she had never imagined that it was that bad. How could she possibly recall nothing of such events?

"I can put up with your smoking, with you ditching class, with unsupervised magic even, but you're not going anywhere now or ever again."

Alex loved her brother in spite of everything and he had almost gotten to her, but out of all the things she hated, she despised being told what to do the most.

"Watch me", she went back to going through her clothes and Justin's determination came crashing down.

"Alex, please, listen to me, just this once." The confidence had faded and now he was simply desperate.

The middle Russo sighed in defeat – when her brother started begging, she couldn't find it even in the darkest parts of her soul to say 'no' to him.

"Just this once." Justin got the feeling that this statement would bring problems in the future, but he couldn't ask for more right now. So he simply uttered a quiet 'thank you' and left the room.

**Review and tell me what you think or how much you despise me for making you wait so long ^^**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: There is no excuse for my constant month-long absences, I just tend to get writer's block. A lot. And often. So the chapter is longer than usual to say sorry and because I was inspired.**

**Thank you to everyone who's reviewed, it always warms my heart when I see a new notice in the mail and it's what eventually kicks me back into writing mode.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place.**

The night seemed to drag on endlessly. The moon was clearly visible from Mitchie's window and she could swear that she had been staring at it for hours from the chair she had pushed next to the window. Despite the passage of time, however, the moon hadn't moved an inch and she looked at the clock on the nightstand next to her bed only to realize that a mere ten minutes had passed since the last time she had set her gaze upon it. The numbers read 3:35. Another night awake into the early hours. She knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep for at least another two hours. It was her usual nightly routine. Her mind was filled with memories from her childhood, just pictures really, making their way through, sometimes too vague to understand and put in a timeline. A park. Sand. A plastic shovel. Laughter. Her mother holding a cup. The beach. Water. A seashell being washed ashore. Morning. Cold. Presents under a tree. Her first guitar. She wiped her tears away and the sky above had finally changed, the moon further on the horizon. A crash. She had to blink twice to realize that it wasn't part of her memory lane. It had come from downstairs. She stood still listening for any other sounds that might follow and after she heard nothing she decided to check what had happened.

She tiptoed down the stairs noiselessly. All the lights were off. She made her way into the kitchen and hissed in pain as her foot came in contact with something sharp and she took a few steps back. She raised it to examine it only to find a piece of glass embedded in the soft tissue of her right foot. She slowly took it out and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness she noticed the shards on the floor and deduced that they had once possessed the shape of a crystal wine glass. There was no moisture to be seen so it must have been empty. Perhaps her father had been downstairs to fetch some water or to make himself a little snack and had knocked it by mistake. That must be it, she concluded and proceeded towards a cabinet under the sink that held a little broom to help her get the pieces together before she stepped on them again. After that task was completed she started to make her way back upstairs and that's when she heard it.

A quiet sob coming from the bathroom just from across the stairs. And then another, louder. And then there was no end. She knew it was her father. She had never seen or heard the man cry. She had only been a witness to tear marks and bloodshot eyes. Twice. On the day of the accident and on the day of the funeral. She wondered silently if he had been crying every night. Hadn't she heard? The walls weren't exactly soundproof. She had to try and talk to her dad, give him any small comfort she could. With that goal in mind she crossed the distance to the bathroom in three quiet steps and knocked on the door. The sobbing seized abruptly.

"Dad, are you okay?" Mitchie asked softly through the wooden barrier.

"I'm fine, sweetheart. What time is it? Go back to bed." came the rushed hoarse reply.

"Open the door, dad." Shortly after she heard the water go on and after a minute the door opened. It was like nothing had ever happened. No tear marks, no pain edged into his gentle features. The thought that this man had been crying only moments earlier wouldn't even appear in one's mind. But the red swollen eyes were a give-away. Her intention had been to provide comfort, but no such words made their way out of her mouth and she had to force it closed. Instead, she just enveloped the tall man into a tight hug that could just as well have lasted until dawn. At some point she felt dampness on her shoulder and she didn't have to wonder about the cause. Somehow they managed to break apart and climb the stairs wordlessly, getting into their respective beds.

The morning held no mention of the emotions experienced the previous night and talk over breakfast had been brief. Mitchie had had to cover up the bags under her eyes, the only visible sign of her sleep-deprivation, with make-up. She did that before school not because she actually cared about her appearance, but because it would attract more attention.

She slowly made her way to school, having quickly memorized it. Only then did Alex enter her mind and she dreaded another encounter with the brunette that had no respect for privacy and personal space. She noticed that they shared three of their classes – Biology, English and Algebra. It also didn't escape her observations that Alex seemed to be behind in all of them, failing even. Luckily, she hadn't been approached or even noticed it seemed and she breathed a sigh of relief.

It was time for lunch, but Mitchie had no intention of going to the cafeteria. She knew that at least half the students would be there and she couldn't deal with so many people at the same time. When she entered a room, she felt like everyone's eyes immediately shifted in her direction – maybe they did or perhaps she was just being paranoid. She was a hundred percent positive that no one had made the connection. They had no idea that she was actually _the_ one and only Mitchie Torres, the same one they used to write about in your everyday magazines and show on national television. But she knew with just as much certainty that her schoolmates regarded her as a freak. She had heard them, talking behind her back, as if she wasn't there, most probably thinking she was either listening to her mp3 player or was completely detached from reality.

She couldn't blame them though, could she? She didn't speak to anyone unless absolutely necessary and she did always have those headphones in, even though there weren't always on. And lately she was always scribbling something in a notebook in a desperate attempt to let her emotions flow out of her and into a song. The words, however, never came.

She went out and away from all the noise and the not-so-subtle gossiping and into the school park. That was how she liked to spend her breaks – in a secluded corner under the shadow and safety of a grand old tree. She took her notebook out and yet again stared at the blank page before her, the top and bottom covered with rough scratches of the pen, rows empty. She tried to concentrate, to let her hand guide her sorrow onto the paper, but to no avail.

"What is wrong with me?" she raged under her breath.

* * *

Lunch break came as slowly as ever and Alex was the first to storm out of the classroom without as much as a word to Harper. Her best friend knew very well what that meant – Alex was going to skip the last few periods and there was nothing on earth that she could do about it. She felt utterly helpless. Alex was completely out of control and even her own brother had failed to get through to her. Granted, last night had been a small success, but they both knew it would be the only time and when they talked about it, Justin had been terrified. He had always been the one to set her feet firmly on the ground when she wasn't thinking clearly, but now she was treating him like an unwanted acquaintance, a stranger even, without any respect and certainly without empathy. It was like she was a lost cause.

Alex quickly made her way outside, expertly sneaking past Mr. Laritate's door. She couldn't stay within the confines of the school any longer. It was slowly suffocating her – all the memories, all the people, all the noise and meaningless chatter. She didn't want to be part of any of it. She breathed in the fresh air and made her way through the park fully intent on spending her time wandering around the backstreets of the city where she knew no one would bother her. She had almost reached the exit when she noticed Mystery Girl, now also known as Mitchie, sitting alone under the largest tree in the park and apparently talking to herself, or an invisible friend, although Alex didn't recall having turned anyone invisible lately. She felt the urge to approach her, to make a comment about her lack of sanity if nothing else, but her better judgment told her not to. Yeah, right, as if she even had one. She made her way to Mitchie, who didn't acknowledge her presence, and leaned against the tree out of her sight.

"Talking to yourself is never a good sign, you know."

Mitchie jumped a little, startled by the sudden disruption of the peaceful silence, and turned her head upwards slightly, frowning.

"Do you need something?" she asked harshly.

"No, but maybe you do. You seem lonely. Unless of course that conversation involved an invisible buddy. Care for an introduction?" Alex scolded herself mentally at her words, what did she care how the dark-head was feeling? Oh well, worth it, if Mystery Girl finally said something about herself, other than the name she had uttered to the teachers.

"Wrong. All of it. Now if you don't mind, I don't want the company." with that Mitchie shifted her attention back to her notebook.

"Right. What are you writing in there all the time?" Alex inquired, on the verge of breaking the polite act.

"None of your business."

Alex felt like she was wasting her way too valuable time with this girl, but for some reason she just couldn't help trying to get her to open up about something, anything really. Mitchie was truly a mystery to everyone at school. No one knew literally a single thing about her – not about her family, not where she lived, where she came from, nor what she liked or disliked, nothing, zero, zilch. Alex was probably the one Mitchie had spoken to most, albeit involuntarily and mostly telling her to back off. Mystery Girl was certainly a challenge to converse with and Alex sure loved herself a challenge every now and again.

"You're really difficult to talk to, you know." Alex said, voicing her thought as usual.

"Then don't." Mitchie retorted without lifting her gaze, but the notebook had been turned to a completely blank page, Alex noticed.

She slid herself against the tree and sat herself next to Mitchie.

"Alright, let's sit here in silence."

When Mitchie didn't react, Alex felt herself relax and tried to enjoy the quiet for a minute, which was eerily comfortable. And then, without so much as a warning, Mitchie stood up, notebook firmly gripped in her hand, backpack slung over one shoulder, and calmly made her way back to the school building. As if on cue the bell rang just as she got lost within the crowd.

Alex stood there unmoving, staring as Mystery Girl made her departure. It was painstakingly obvious that something was seriously off with this girl, but the two-worded responses she was getting weren't about to present her with the cause. And Alex wasn't about to spend her time pondering on that, so she hid behind the tree, took her wand out of her boot and zapped herself a few alleys away from her home in a little dead-end street, where no one was ever around, and walked the rest of the way, just as she had originally planned.

* * *

Mitchie headed towards the school without a glance back at Alex and quickened her step when she blended in with the other students. She stopped by her locker to put her notebook safely under the piles of books there. It was obvious she wasn't going to be able to put anything down and carrying it around would only remind her of that. She was glad that Alex hadn't followed her and wondered for a few seconds if she should find another more secluded place where she could actually be left alone. The thought was tempting, but she didn't recall seeing anything else outside and she figured that the school bathrooms just wouldn't be an inspiring setting for a writer. If she really was still one to begin with, no combinations of words that came into her head made any sense. The next classes were a blur to her and before she knew it she found herself in front of her new house. She was supposed to have adjusted by now, but she couldn't really call this place home, it didn't feel right anymore. She reached for the keys in her pocket and within a fraction of second a scene from a different time played itself in front of her eyes. Reaching for the spare key hidden under scattered rocks. It was gone just as quickly and she wiped at her eyes to stop the tears from falling and made her way inside.

**Review and tell me what you think ^^**


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